The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-20
A NATIONAL MILITIA.
The Proposal to Hold q Gettysburg National
Grand Encampment In 1888.


Grand Encampment In 1883.
Philadelphia Special.
The suggestion thrown out in the Press of
this city by Gen. r. 3. Irwin, for holding an
Interstate National Guard camp on the Gettys-
burg battlefield next year has attracted some
attention General Irwin estimates that if each
state should furnish average of three compa-
MES of Infantry for each congressional district,
there would be assembled about ITO regiments,
which at effective of 700 each. would give
1900 in ALL If a light battery or troop of cav
airy should count for three COMPANIES of infant
.sries and troops of cavs shs
should be accepted, there would then
be, even with ninety six regiments of infantry,
q total force of $1,000 infantry. $500 artillery,
and 1000 cavalry, an aggregate of Y, 500 men.
This would allow tweutyfour brigades of three
regiments each, with battery attached to each
brigade. These in, turn could form eight divi-
sions, consisting Of three brieades and three bat
teries each. with battalion of cavalry OF four
troops. The Governors of States would appoint
officers up to and including brieadier-eenerals,
while the division commanders and their stats
would be appointed by the President. The
whole force would be mustered into the service
of the United States, and receive pay, allow
ances, and transportation. The President would
appoint adjutant-general and inspector-gen-
eral to carry the plan into effect and Congress
would have to make an appropriation for ex-
penses. The project contemplates an annual
eEcampment. to be held in different States in
successive years, SO as to create a national mill
tia, whose members will be accustomed to act
together in the field
The suggestion is an interestin one although
there obstacles to carrying it into effect Ono
of them is the expense OF maintaining and trans
porting so large body Of troops. moving some
of them thousands of miles, in order to perform
evolutions in which few score OF general and
staff officers would be mainly concerned. The
private soldier moves precisely tho same in the
maneuvre of a regiment as in the mauHuvre of
a corps and the instruction Of few guides and
markers and the experience to be derived by
staff officers in the tentng, feeding, and hand
I'm Of go arr a wAuld tn
be acquired at too heavy an expcnse. 1t might
be argued in Congress than an equal amount Of
the militia in some other way. Still. this OBJ
lection could be diminished by adopting eight
annual division encampments at as many differ
emit points throuehout the country. oven
twentyfou brigade encampments.
second objection, which might prove quite
as potent, is that many existing organizations,
formed under State laws would hesitate to be
merged in a national militia The force to be
assembled in tho Gettysburg plan nearly equals
the aggregate of the uniformed militia of the
States, and obviously contemplates including
this, as it would not be practicable to organize
other forces in season for an encampment on the
LIST of July next Bat experience has shown
that some existing organizations. jealous OF their
charter privileges, oppose national militia leg
islaton introduced into Congress. This opposi-
ton would be REINFORCED by the fact that the
national encampment would take the place of
the much priced State encampments, since time
could not be spared for both in the same year.
STILL we find Gen. Sheridan in one Of his off,
cial reports pronounclng In favor of nationaliz-
ing the State militia, and of holding a national
encampment such Gen. Irwin proposes. He
would also have Congress designate the number
of men TO be enrolled in the National Guard of
each State, and whoever studies the subject
must that the modern tendency is toward
uniformity in the State organizations, and
toward fitting them for service together in the
field. One such indication is the assignment of
army officers to inspect the annual militia
campments and to report upon them. This
practice. growth of recent years. not only
cures the services of experienced professional
soldiers, but judges all the encampments by
common standard. The sindication of merits,
and the pointing out of faults and
year after year, by
inspectors free from local prejudices, produces
gradual and marked uniformity. A second in
fuence il the recent doubling of the annual
militia appropriation of Congress. whose dis
rlbution is made subject to few common rules.
These conditions may be gradually increased by
Congress, with the result of producing still
greater uniformity The Slocum bill may not
soon be enacted but we shall probably find
common service dress eventually adopted. with
common services equipments We may eventual
" find half the small arms used by the militia
of uniform calibre compulsory annual camps of
instruction everywhere; training in rifle shoot
ing made imperative; common system of
organizing and dsciplining adopted, with COM
mon administration and drin. Such degree
of NATURALIZATION is pretty sure to come, what
ever may be the decision upon interstate
"a IN iYnentst